This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
UPnP is one of the technical cornerstones of the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), a group which is working towards a wired and wireless interoperable network of Personal Computers (PC), Consumer Electronics (CE) and mobile devices in the home, enabling a seamless environment for sharing and growing new digital media and content services. UPnP technology defines an architecture for pervasive peer-to-peer network connectivity of intelligent appliances, wireless devices, and personal computers of all types. UPnP technology is designed to bring easy-to-use, flexible, standards-based connectivity to ad-hoc or unmanaged networks whether in the home, in a small business, public locations, or systems connected to the Internet. UPnP technology provides a distributed, open networking architecture that leverages TCP/IP and web technologies to enable seamless proximity networking, in addition to providing control and data transfer among networked devices.
The UPnP Device Architecture (UDA) is designed to support zero-configuration, “invisible” networking and automatic discovery for a breadth of device categories from a wide range of vendors. With UDA, a device can dynamically join a network, obtain an IP address, convey its capabilities, and learn about the presence and capabilities of other devices.
There is currently a strong effort underway to more seamlessly integrate mobile telephone technology into the UPnP environment. These efforts involve attempts to integrate various telephone services, such as calls, messaging, etc., and UPnP control point functionality such that both can run in the same device. These efforts are necessary because, as UPnP “digital homes” become more commonplace, users will demand that their devices be capable of interacting with other devices to create a more “seamless” experience. In the current home environment, however, there is very little system integration among devices. Devices such as televisions, stereos, and DVD players operate independently from mobile telephones, even though the actions of one device can interfere with the enjoyment of another device. For example, a person may not be able to hear his telephone ringing if he is watching an action-filled movie with a surround-sound speaker system. This is because there is no system currently in place such that one device can “accommodate” another device in various use case scenarios. In addition to the above, there may be situations where a user wants to control his or her “home” devices remotely using another individual's UPnP environment as a relay or gateway. Current systems, however, are not sufficiently integrated to enable such a feature.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a system by which to better integrate various mobile telephone functions and the UPnP enabled digital home.